Anthony Ballantoni

Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead: Daytona in 71

During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

With71 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):

Travis Kvapil finished 27th in the standings and earned 638 points.2012: Drove the No. 93 Toyota for BK Racing. In 35 starts, he led 13 laps, had one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 36.6 and a 25.7 average finish. He also drove the RAB Racing No. 09 Toyota Tundra in one NCWTS race at Daytona; finished fourth.Best NSCS start: 29 - Richmond 04/28/2012Best NSCS finish: 8 - Talladega 10/07/2012Last NSCS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans at this time but will most likely remain at BK Racing.

Mark Martin finished 26th in the standings and earned 701 points.2012: Drove part-time in the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. In 24 starts, scored four poles, led 197 laps and had four top five and 10 top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 9.1 and a 15.2 average finish. Martin also drove the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota in one NNS race at Las Vegas; finished second.Best NSCS starts: 1 - Phoenix 03/04/2012, Richmond 04/28/2012, Dover 06/03/2012 and Michigan 08/19/2012.Best NSCS finish: 2 - Pocono 06/10/2012Last NSCS Win: Loudon 09/20/2009.2013: Will share the No. 55 Toyota again with Brian Vickers and Michael Waltrip. Martin will drive in 24 races and, also, the Shootout and All-Star races.

Kurt Busch finished 25th in the standings and earned 735 points.2012: Drove the No. 51 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in 29 races and the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing in the last six races of the season. In the 35 starts, he led 19 laps, had one top five and five top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 22.2 and a 23.2 average finish. Kurt also drove in 15 NNS races; four in Phoenix Racing’s No. 1 Chevrolet and 11 in his brother Kyle’s No. 54 Toyota. He scored two wins, one for each team. In the NCWTS, Busch drove three races; one in Billy Ballew’s No. 51 Chevrolet Silverado (finished 10th) and two in Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Tundra (ninth and seventh place finishes).Best NSCS starts: 6 - Pocono 08/05/2012 and Phoenix 11/11/2012Best NSCS finish: 3 - Sonoma 06/24/2012Last NSCS Win: Dover 10/02/2011.2013: Has signed with Furniture Row Racing to drive the No. 78 Chevrolet for the full season.

Updates to NSCS drivers in previous columns:- David Ragan finished 28th in the standings and earned 622 points. He has signed an extension to return behind the wheel of the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford for 2013.- David Gilliland finished 30th in the standings and earned 605 points. He has signed an extension to return to the Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford for 2013.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):

Josh Richards finished 27th in the standings and earned 256 points.2012:Drove 14 races in the Go Green Racing No. 39 Ford. He had an average start of 26.1 and a 25.7 average finish. He also drove the Wauters Motorsports No. 5 Ford F-150 in a NCWTS race at Martinsville and finished 17th. Best NNS start: 17 - Charlotte 05/26/2012Best NNS finish: 16 - Daytona 07/06/2012Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time.

Jeff Green finished 26th in the standings and earned 256 points.2012:Drove 32 races in the Tri Star Motorsports’ Nos. 10, 14, 44 and 91 Toyota Tundras. Most races were ‘start and park’ efforts. He led one lap, had an average start of 36.6 and a 36.0 average finish. He also drove one NCWTS race in the RSS Racing No. 37 Chevrolet Silverado (‘start and park’ 35th place finish at Chicagoland Speedway).Best NNS start: 17 - Bristol 08/24/2012Best NNS finish: 15 - Dover 09/29/2012Last NNS Win: Charlotte 05/25/2002.2013: No firm plans at this time.

T.J. Bell finished 25th in the standings and earned 258 points.2012:Drove 21 races in the MAKE Motorsports’ No. 50 Chevrolet and one in The Motorsports Group No. 47 Chevrolet. In the 22 races, he had an average start of 36.2 and a 32.3 average finish. Bell made five starts in the Sprint Cup No. 32 Ford for FAS Lane Racing; averaged a 31.4 finish. He also qualified for two ‘start and park’ races in Jennifer Jo Cobb’s No. 0 Ford/RAM trucks.Best NNS start: 18 - Darlington 05/11/2012Best NNS finishes: 24 - Daytona 02/25/2012 and Dover 06/02/2012Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time in his primary Nationwide Series but Bell has signed on to drive for some (probably five) races in FAS Lane Racing’s No. 32 Ford in Sprint Cup.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):

Jason Leffler finished 23rd in the standings and earned 294 points.2012: Drove nine races in Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota Tundra and one in Hillman Racing’s No. 27 Chevrolet Silverado. In the 10 races, he led five laps, had one top five and six top 10 finishes and had an average start of 10.4 and a 14.7 average finish. He also raced for his former Nationwide Series owner, Turner Motorsports, in two NNS events in the No. 30 Chevrolet (finished eighth and 12th). In the Sprint Cup Series, Leffler qualified for five ‘start and park’ entries for Robinson-Blakeney Racing’s No. 49 and Humphrey Smith Racing’s Nos. 19 and 91 cars.Best NCWTS start: 2 - Kansas 04/21/2012Best NCWTS finish: 4 - Charlotte 05/18/2012Last NCWTS Win: Dover 05/30/2003.2013: No firm plans in place at this time.

Tim George Jr. finished 22nd in the standings and earned 298 points.2012:Drove 11 races in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado and one in RSS Racing’s No. 93 Chevrolet. In the 12 races, he scored one pole, had one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 16.6 and a 19.2 average finish.Best NCWTS start: 1 - Kansas 04/21/2012Best NCWTS finish: 9 - Talladega 10/06/2012Last NCWTS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans in place at this time but most likely will return part-time in an RCR truck.

During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

With71 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):

Travis Kvapil finished 27th in the standings and earned 638 points.2012: Drove the No. 93 Toyota for BK Racing. In 35 starts, he led 13 laps, had one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 36.6 and a 25.7 average finish. He also drove the RAB Racing No. 09 Toyota Tundra in one NCWTS race at Daytona; finished fourth.Best NSCS start: 29 - Richmond 04/28/2012Best NSCS finish: 8 - Talladega 10/07/2012Last NSCS Win: None so far.2013: No firm plans at this time but will most likely remain at BK Racing.

Mark Martin finished 26th in the standings and earned 701 points.2012: Drove part-time in the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. In 24 starts, scored four poles, led 197 laps and had four top five and 10 top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 9.1 and a 15.2 average finish. Martin also drove the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota in one NNS race at Las Vegas; finished second.Best NSCS starts: 1 - Phoenix 03/04/2012, Richmond 04/28/2012, Dover 06/03/2012 and Michigan 08/19/2012.Best NSCS finish: 2 - Pocono 06/10/2012Last NSCS Win: Loudon 09/20/2009.2013: Will share the No. 55 Toyota again with Brian Vickers and Michael Waltrip. Martin will drive in 24 races and, also, the Shootout and All-Star races.

Kurt Busch finished 25th in the standings and earned 735 points.2012: Drove the No. 51 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in 29 races and the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing in the last six races of the season. In the 35 starts, he led 19 laps, had one top five and five top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 22.2 and a 23.2 average finish. Kurt also drove in 15 NNS races; four in Phoenix Racing’s No. 1 Chevrolet and 11 in his brother Kyle’s No. 54 Toyota. He scored two wins, one for each team. In the NCWTS, Busch drove three races; one in Billy Ballew’s No. 51 Chevrolet Silverado (finished 10th) and two in Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Tundra (ninth and seventh place finishes).Best NSCS starts: 6 - Pocono 08/05/2012 and Phoenix 11/11/2012Best NSCS finish: 3 - Sonoma 06/24/2012Last NSCS Win: Dover 10/02/2011.2013: Has signed with Furniture Row Racing to drive the No. 78 Chevrolet for the full season.

Updates to NSCS drivers in previous columns:- David Ragan finished 28th in the standings and earned 622 points. He has signed an extension to return behind the wheel of the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford for 2013.- David Gilliland finished 30th in the standings and earned 605 points. He has signed an extension to return to the Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford for 2013.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):

Josh Richards finished 27th in the standings and earned 256 points.2012:Drove 14 races in the Go Green Racing No. 39 Ford. He had an average start of 26.1 and a 25.7 average finish. He also drove the Wauters Motorsports No. 5 Ford F-150 in a NCWTS race at Martinsville and finished 17th. Best NNS start: 17 - Charlotte 05/26/2012Best NNS finish: 16 - Daytona 07/06/2012Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time.

Jeff Green finished 26th in the standings and earned 256 points.2012:Drove 32 races in the Tri Star Motorsports’ Nos. 10, 14, 44 and 91 Toyota Tundras. Most races were ‘start and park’ efforts. He led one lap, had an average start of 36.6 and a 36.0 average finish. He also drove one NCWTS race in the RSS Racing No. 37 Chevrolet Silverado (‘start and park’ 35th place finish at Chicagoland Speedway).Best NNS start: 17 - Bristol 08/24/2012Best NNS finish: 15 - Dover 09/29/2012Last NNS Win: Charlotte 05/25/2002.2013: No firm plans at this time.

T.J. Bell finished 25th in the standings and earned 258 points.2012:Drove 21 races in the MAKE Motorsports’ No. 50 Chevrolet and one in The Motorsports Group No. 47 Chevrolet. In the 22 races, he had an average start of 36.2 and a 32.3 average finish. Bell made five starts in the Sprint Cup No. 32 Ford for FAS Lane Racing; averaged a 31.4 finish. He also qualified for two ‘start and park’ races in Jennifer Jo Cobb’s No. 0 Ford/RAM trucks.Best NNS start: 18 - Darlington 05/11/2012Best NNS finishes: 24 - Daytona 02/25/2012 and Dover 06/02/2012Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time in his primary Nationwide Series but Bell has signed on to drive for some (probably five) races in FAS Lane Racing’s No. 32 Ford in Sprint Cup.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):

Jason Leffler finished 23rd in the standings and earned 294 points.2012: Drove nine races in Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota Tundra and one in Hillman Racing’s No. 27 Chevrolet Silverado. In the 10 races, he led five laps, had one top five and six top 10 finishes and had an average start of 10.4 and a 14.7 average finish. He also raced for his former Nationwide Series owner, Turner Motorsports, in two NNS events in the No. 30 Chevrolet (finished eighth and 12th). In the Sprint Cup Series, Leffler qualified for five ‘start and park’ entries for Robinson-Blakeney Racing’s No. 49 and Humphrey Smith Racing’s Nos. 19 and 91 cars.Best NCWTS start: 2 - Kansas 04/21/2012Best NCWTS finish: 4 - Charlotte 05/18/2012Last NCWTS Win: Dover 05/30/2003.2013: No firm plans in place at this time.

Tim George Jr. finished 22nd in the standings and earned 298 points.2012:Drove 11 races in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado and one in RSS Racing’s No. 93 Chevrolet. In the 12 races, he scored one pole, had one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 16.6 and a 19.2 average finish.Best NCWTS start: 1 - Kansas 04/21/2012Best NCWTS finish: 9 - Talladega 10/06/2012Last NCWTS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans in place at this time but most likely will return part-time in an RCR truck.